Team kicks off fall season at UM

The men's golf team kicks off its fall season this weekend with the Northern Intercollegiate in Ann Arbor, Mich. hosted by the University of Michigan. The Hoosiers had three weeks to prepare for the two-day, 15-team event, and they are eager to finally get the season under way at the U of M golf course.\n"The past couple of years, we started off right away," senior Ryan Cassidy said. "Once we got down here, we had a tournament that weekend. We've had pretty much three weekends off since we got down here, so we're definitely ready to go." \nBesides being eager to start the season, the Hoosiers are confident that a victory is within reach. The team believes they have a solid lineup and are capable of competing with the entire field at the Northern Intercollegiate. \n"Our team is about as deep as we've ever been right now," Cassidy said. "We should have a good chance of winning the tournament and that's our main goal."\nSecond-year player Brad Marek gained experience on a talented squad last year.\n"Any time you go to a tournament, you have to expect to win," he said. "As a team, there's no reason, if we're clicking well, that we can't win this tournament."\nThis weekend will also provide the Hoosiers with a chance to become better acquainted with their Big Ten opponents. Six other Big Ten schools -- Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin -- will compete in the Northern Intercollegiate. Seeing the competition so early will give the Hoosiers an idea of what their Big Ten rivals can do.\n"Obviously, this is like the Big Ten preview," Cassidy said. "So it's important that we play well and let them know where we're at as well as figure out where they are."\nThe Hoosiers will send five players into competition this weekend. Junior Jeff Overton enters the weekend as the Hoosiers' number-one golfer. Following Overton are junior Heath Peters, Cassidy, junior Mike Birkenfeld and Marek. Freshman David Butwell will also join the Hoosiers in Ann Arbor and play as an individual.\nOverton's recent performances have only raised the Hoosiers' expectations. During the fifth of six qualifying rounds for this weekend's tournament, Overton set a new IU Golf Course record by shooting a nine-under-par 62. After seeing such a strong performance from Overton, assistant coach Josh Brewer thinks that Overton could have a big weekend.\n"(Overton) has to pace himself a little bit just to calm down on the first couple of holes and just be himself," Brewer said. "If he plays like he has been playing, I'd be surprised if he doesn't get his first college tournament victory."\n-- Contact staff writer Charlie Gillingham at cgilling@indiana.edu